What the Dickens? It can only be the annual

Across

• 1.) Novella by Charles Dickens about Ebenezer Scrooge. (1,9,5)
• 11.) Piece of paper exchanged at Christmas. (4)
• 14.) Alien spacecraft, such as in 'A Spaceman Came Travelling' (3)
• 16.) 2011 animated film about the Santa family by 12 down. (6,9)
• 20.) ? A White Christmas just like the ones we used to know. (2,8,2)
• 23.) Strike the harp and join the ? fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la (6)
• 24.) Horse harness and deer type. (4)
• 26.) A deer. A female deer. (3)
• 27.) Initials of British actor who starred in Christmas films Love, Actually and Die Hard.(2)
• 28.) Plastic interlocking brick building toy. (4)
• 30.) In 1978 Boney M were Christmas No 1 with 'Mary's Boy Child / ? My Lord'. The Teletubbies' 1997 Christmas no 2 hit was 'Say Eh-?' (2)
• 31.) Boy left home alone in Home Alone. (5)
• 32.) New or recent and a character in The Matrix. (3)
• 33.) Organisation created during the Second World War with one of its aims the promotion of World Peace. (2)
• 34.) 'Brick in the Wall', Pink Floyd's 1979 Christmas No 1. (7)
• 36.) Away in a manger no crib for a bed the little Lord Jesus ? down His sweet head. (4)
• 37.) In Gremlins, Gizmo is this type of animal. Not to be confused with Wise Men (6)
• 39.) Gifts are given to family and ? (7)
• 41.) Medical term for how fat Father Christmas is. (5)
• 42.) Country in Africa, also fowl that tastes like chicken. (6)
• 45.) Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the Yuletide ? (3)
• 46.) A Christmas Bonus is also called this. Father Christmas likes to ? children who are nice with presents and punish those who naughty. (6)
• 48.) Many toys may not be suitable for those under 36 months of ? (3)
• 51) Initials of main character in A Christmas Carol (2)
• 52.) Abbreviation used to refer to realistic computer games and films. (2)
• 53.) Father Christmas is also called ? Nicholas (2)
• 54.) Cohen wrote 'Hallelujah', 2008's Christmas No. 1, 2 and 36 (7)
• 56.) Weather of wet, white fluffy stuff. (5)
• 58.) Sacred Infant, all divine, what a tender love was ? (5)
• 60.) According to 1975 & 1991's Christmas no 1, Beelzebub a devil put aside for me, for me, for me! (3)
• 61.) Something that doesn't break and lasts a long time is this. You don't want new toys to break on Christmas morning! (7)
• 63) Nintendo Entertainment System (3)
• 64.) Not in that poor lowly stable with the ? standing by, we shall see Him; but in heaven (4)
• 65.) The Pogues sang 'Fairytale of ? York' (3)
• 66.) Item of paper clothing found in crackers and worn at Christmas. (3)
• 68.) Reindeer most often confused with an air raid. (7)
• 71.) O'Conner, often in the >Morecombe & Wise Christmas Specials (3)
• 72.) 1971's Christmas No 1 was 'the Fastest Milkman in the West'. (5)
• 73.) Charities often advertise asking for this at Christmas. A crutch such as used by Tiny Tim provides this. (7)
• 74.) American name for St Nicholas. (5)

Down

• 1.) We'll tak' a cup of kindness yet for the sake of ? (4,4,4)
• 2.) ? Alone is a film about a child abandoned at Christmas. (4)
• 3.) British bumper edition magazine highlighted around Christmas. (5,5)
• 4.) Boxing Day is known as the Feast of this martyred saint. (8)
• 5.) Musical Scrooge features song '? You Very Much' (6)
• 6.) Mediælval seasonal play featuring knights (who all die), Father Christmas and a doctor who resurrects everyone at the end. (7)
• 7.) Warm, dry climate, such as found at Bethlehem. (4)
• 8.) Initials on a red dressing gown in The Santa Clause. (2)
• 9.) In Love, Actually Billy Mack released song 'Christmas is All ?' (6)
• 10.) What Ralphie wants for Christmas in American film A Christmas Story (5).
• 12.) British animation studio famous for Wallace and Gromit. (7)
• 13.) Father Christmas's reindeer most fond of rushing. (6)
• 15.) Chestnuts roasting on an open (4)
• 17.) Famous miser whose first name is Ebenezer (7)
• 18.) Hail, thou ever blessed ?, Hail redemption's happy dawn (4)
• 19.) Christmas carols are ? at Christmas. (4)
• 21.) The amount of room in the inn. (2)
• 22.) In pantomimes, this magical being is often found in a lamp. (5)
• 25.) St Winifred's School Choir's 1980 Christmas no 1 was 'There's One Quite Like Grandma'. (2)
• 27.) Emperor at time of Jesus' Birth (8)
• 29.) Tell it on the Mountain. (2)
• 35.) Client King of Judea at time of Jesus' birth. (5)
• 36.) Mary's Boy Child Oh My? (4)
• 37.) Who things were sent to by my true love and who Human League didn't want baby in their 1981 Christmas No 1. (2)
• 38.) In Jingle All the Way two fathers run to a radio station hoping to ? a Turboman toy in a competition. (3)
• 39.) In Britain St Nicholas is known as ? Christmas. (6)
• 40.) Seven befriended with Snow White (not swans a swimming) (6)
• 43.) ? Wiseman knew the importance of being in a comedy act with Eric Morecambe. (6)
• 44.) An order of business, timetable or personal organiser like The Grinch's diary. (6)
• 47.) The Three Wise Magi Kings were likely from the Arabian Peninsula, what people from this region are called.
• 49.) Muppet that was Charles Dickens in A Muppet Christmas Carol (5)
• 50.) A female sheep. (3)
• 52.) The foxiest reindeer. (5)
• 54.) When out on the ? there rose such a clatter. (4)
• 55.) Snacks eaten with the help of wooden soldiers. (4)
• 56.) What you might do if you stand on ice. (4)
• 57.) Presents are hung in stockings. A fishy type of stocking. (3)
• 59.) Father Christmas's favourite word that he likes to say thrice. (2)
• 62.) Tack used to stick Christmas decorations up. (3)
• 66.) An informal greeting given to friends and family at Christmas. (2)
• 67.) If you fall over in the icy weather, you may end up in this hospital department. (2)
• 69.) Royal Cypher seen on Postboxes cards are posted in. (2)
• 70.) Abbreviation for the half of the Bible containing Jesus' story. (2)

Please note: all songs and Christmas chart positions are based on Britain's national chart.

Answers next week!

Bluebottle

24.12.18 Front Page

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